Tourism revenues greatly increased in Tempe last year, with almost a quarter of a million more rooms rented in 2018 than two years earlier.
According to the Tempe Tourism Office, in 2018, $175 million in hotel room sales were generated, an increase of about 12 percent from 2017. This is $36 million more than 2016.
According to Brian McCartin, President & CEO of the Tempe Tourism Office, there are a few factors that can explain the increase in demand for Tempe hotels: the growing business community, the popularity of ASU, new flights into the area and the marketing efforts of the Tempe Tourism Office that target meeting and sports events planners.
Another reason for the increase in room sales is the number of new hotel rooms available. Tempe saw an increase of more than 600 new rooms in 2017, including two Hilton Garden Inn Hotels, Fairfield Inn by Marriott and Home2Suites. The new inventory, coupled with a rise in average daily rates, resulted in positive room sales growth for Tempe.
The number of rooms will grow again in the near future with the new Westin, Canopy by Hilton and other hotels coming soon.
Other factors for the rise in revenues included coordination with third party meeting planners, a national marketing campaign and work with travel writers.
“Tempe is a top destination for people from around the world,” Mayor Mark Mitchell said. “There’s always something to do in our community, like Ironman Arizona, Spring Training baseball and great outdoor festivals. Business travelers come here to be part of leading-edge research being done by biotech companies and Arizona State University. I appreciate the work Tempe Tourism has done to make Tempe their city of choice. The revenue that is generated through Tourism is invested back into programs and services our community desires.”
The tourism industry in Tempe employs 8,000 people.
According to a Tourism Economic Impact Study, Tempe is visited by 3.7 million tourists a year and direct visitor spending is $730.5 million annually. Of that, more than $92 million is spent at special events, local arts venues and Tempe attractions.
The Tempe Tourism Office is a non-profit organization devoted to marketing Tempe, Arizona as a desirable visitor and group destination. Visit www.tempetourism.com for details.
